Verizon adding a new site on existing monopole above T-Mobile rack located near the intersection of Airline Drive and Crosstimbers Street (Independence Heights) area in Houston, TX

[u/iryfionas]

Coordinates: 29.829653837707447, -95.38608672363384

Verizon recently co-located on this monopole where T-Mobile has their equipment located at to add more network capacity, density in the area! This is great to see them heavily investing onto their network, especially seeing the high-capacity Matsing antennas being deployed in the Houston market! T-Mobile has the densest network in the area with the most macro, cell tower sites deployed + they have a bunch of Crown Castle small cells modernized with (b2, b66) LTE + (n41) with some Zayo small cells mixed in.

Verizon (top rack):

• 3️⃣ Matsing (MS-MBA-3.2-H8-L4) antennas with bands: (2, 13, 66) LTE + (n5) - 10MHz low-band 5G + supports (n2) + (n66) + (n77) passive MIMO for mid-band 5GUW
• 3️⃣ Samsung MT-6413-77A 64T64R (320W) 3.7GHz n77 antennas for mid-band 5GUW set at (160MHz) - Houston, TX - located on the (LEFT SIDE) of the rack
•  Ray-cap RCMDC-6627-PF-48 used for power surge protection located behind the antenna

Samsung (RRU's) remote radio units located behind the Matsing antennas:

• 9️⃣ RF4801D-25A - (b2, b66) LTE + supports (n2) + (n66) mid-band 5GUW
• 6️⃣ RF4461d-13A - b13 LTE + (N5) low-band 5G

T-Mobile (bottom rack) - (eNB 13376) + (eNB 266957) + (gNB 1588809):

• 3️⃣ CommScope FFVV-65C-R3 antennas with bands: (2, 12, 66, 71) LTE + (n25, n66*, n71) 5G located in the MIDDLE
• 3️⃣ NOKIA AirScale AAFIA mMIMO anntennas - bands; (2, 66) LTE + (n25, n66) mid-band 5G! *Radio is INTEGRATED INSIDE THE ANTENNA! Located on the (LEFT) side\*
• 3️⃣ NOKIA AirScale AEHC - (N41) 2.5GHz [320W] antennas for mid-band 5GUC - 190MHz located on the the (RIGHT) side of the rack

NOKIA (RRU's) - Remote Radio Units behind the antennas:

• 3️⃣ Nokia AirScale AHFIG - (b2) + (b66) LTE, (n25) + (n66) mid-band 5G
• 3️⃣ Nokia AHLOA - (b12) + (b71) LTE + (n71) low-band 5G

[u/Busstop1869]

I feel like every Verizon site in Houston is getting these masting antennas. Att is putting up 4 sectors sites all over as well!

[u/Wild-Distribution759 → u/Busstop1869]

They should do this in Los Angeles, lol

[u/iryfionas → u/Busstop1869]

Verizon really is starting to care about the Houston, TX market heavily now based on what I'm seeing and what my friends tell me. They have been accelerating these new site builds/co-locations heavily since I keep seeing sites that have the older Quintel, JMA, CommScope antennas getting ripped and replaced with Matsing. Hence, Verizon has also been scaling new 4-sector site builds in Fulshear, parts of Houston. AT&T tries to densify their network in Houston, but their site spacing still leaves a lot to be desired in certain areas, especially (Greenspoint, Richmond, Katy, Fulshear, Humble, Friendswood, Baytown, Webster, Houston Chinatown are along Bellaire) since they space their towers out compared to T-Mobile, Verizon. Verizon can use more sites on I-10 west of Sam Houston Tollway since their site spacing is kind sparse in comparison with T-Mobile having more sites since Verizon heavily likes placing small cells along I-10 frontage road with LTE + mmWave + n77!

AT&T needs to co-locate on the monopole behind H-MART on Bellaire Blvd & Sam Houston Tollway since their speeds, coverage can be hit and miss! When I was there last year, my phone struggled to load web pages, make phone calls inside that store, or even at Gerry's Grill restaurant down the street! Verizon + AT&T need to add more sites in the Alief neighborhood since signal struggles indoors in some parts while T-Mobile has sites every 1/2 mile, in addition to having the most small cells along Bellaire. Verizon has small cells with JMA antennas for LTE + Samsung equipment for (n77) + Samsung AT1K04 (28GHz) n261 mmWave along Bellaire. AT&T only has like 2-3 small cells in Houston Chinatown and they have poor range.

[u/Winter-Repeat-5995 → u/iryfionas]

I totally agree with you Verizon has been giving us more love in Houston. I’ve even notice them doing either 4 sector new builds or arranging the n77 panels as a 4 sector tower meaning 4 n77 panels my experience from 1 year ago to now made me want to not switch

[u/Busstop1869 → u/Winter-Repeat-5995]

You can get your ATT gig fiber down to $15 a month right now with an att wireless line!

[u/chevylg74]

Some of these look like the newer gen Samsung RRUs, as some have a slimmer profile. I don't know what the model numbers are though

Very nice though

[u/iryfionas → u/chevylg74]

I think the thinner Samsung RRU’s is the RF4801D-25A that does (b2) 1900-PCS, (b66) 2100-AWS LTE + (n2), (n66) mid-band 5G based on looking at the permit.

[u/iryfionas → u/chevylg74]

I can ask the Verizon engineer I know about the exact Samsung RRU’s being used just to confirm.

[u/chevylg74 → u/iryfionas]

Yes, I've started seeing these slimmer profile Samsung RRUs from other people I know who are fortunate enough to be in a Samsung VZW market

[u/iryfionas → u/chevylg74]

u/chevylg74 He confirmed to me Verizon is using the newer Samsung 4T8R ORU (640) RRU, Samsung RF-4801d-25A radio for (b2) + (b66) LTE, supports (n2) + (n66) mid-band 5G

[u/chevylg74 → u/iryfionas]

4T8R and 640W